ID H0455

Appropriates $76,598,900 to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for fiscal year 2026, including $2,176,400 for personnel costs, $10,940,300 for operating expenditures, and $63,482,200 for trustee and benefit payments across five program areas

Reduces DEQ appropriations by $1,162,600 in personnel costs from federal and ARPA funds for fiscal year 2026

Transfers $10,000,000 from the General Fund to the Water Pollution Control Fund for drinking water and wastewater construction grants, with legislative intent to continue funding at up to $10 million annually for up to five years

Grants for water projects will use a tiered approach prioritizing smaller systems based on factors including monthly user rates, median income, and readiness to proceed, administered through a competitive matching grant process

Reappropriates up to $2,500,000 in unexpended General Fund balances for document management implementation and exempts the department from program transfer limitations for fiscal year 2025